'Blazing Saddles' at 40: Is it Brooks' 'greatest'?

3:04 PM,
May 6, 2014

Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder starred in Blazing Saddles, now on Blu-Ray.

Written by

BRYAN ALEXANDER
USA TODAY

Mel Brooks has a bone to pick with the American Film Institute, which gave him a lifetime-achievement award in 2013.

It was a great honor. But somehow, Brooks' 1974 classic Blazing Saddles ended up No. 6 on the AFI's list of all-time greatest comedies, behind films such as 1959's Some Like It Hot (No. 1) and 1933's Duck Soup (No. 5). Filmmakers would kill for the coveted spot. Not Brooks, 87, who still comically fumes over it.

"I am so angry at the AFI. Blazing Saddles should be No. 1. And then there should be 50 spaces before the next one gets into the running." says Brooks, who co-wrote, directed and ...